Optical networks using SONET, SDH, OTN, and the like are being deployed with corresponding control planes for control thereof. For example, the control plane may include Optical Signaling and Routing Protocol (OSRP), Automatically Switched Optical Networks—ITU-T Recommendation G.8080: Architecture for the Automatically Switched Optical Network (ASON) 2001, Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching Architecture (G-MPLS) IETF RFC 3945, 2004, and the like. Using SONET, SDH, OTN, etc., the control planes may utilize either in-band signaling (e.g., via overhead) or out-of-band signaling (e.g., via a separate data network) to communicate control plane messages. Disadvantageously, in-band control plane enabled links are not possible over submarine links or tunneling through other bandwidth provider networks. Specifically, intermediate line terminating (LTE) network elements block communications channels available to the control plane. Signaling for these links requires an out-of-band control plane network limiting flexibility of the control plane and greatly increasing restoration times and cost of the network.
Additionally, the deployment of heterogeneous payload control plane-enabled links across submarine links or tunneling through network provider networks with control plane un-aware intermediate line terminating equipment (LTE) network elements has not been possible. Previously, these links were required to be homogeneous; forcing the user to allocate the entire bandwidth to a single concatenation type and thus stranding available bandwidth. In order to support control plane signaling and routing through older line terminating equipment (LTE) which do not support SONET/SDH auto-concatenation, the user needed to be able to identify the manual concatenation type cross-connections at these intermediate LTE network elements to the control plane. In the same way, OTN cross-connections at intermediate network elements can limit the available bandwidth. This lack of flexibility leads to limited control plane functionality and added cost to the user.
Furthermore in OTN, Tandem Connection Monitoring (TCM) points provide one mechanism for service monitoring. Conventionally, users have to manually setup TCM monitoring points at individual nodes along with a type of monitoring, i.e. either as origination, termination or pass through layer to accommodate TCM monitoring across multiple nodes. Disadvantageously with respect to tunneling through other bandwidth provider networks, only a single operator connected to each of the networks or domains may monitor each path.